The history of desktop icons

The history of desktop icons dates back to the 1973 with the introduction of Xerox Alto, the first computer with Graphical User Interface (GUI). The Alto established a collection of visual metaphors that are still used today. It was designed for office use, so the icons were all office related objects like folders, documents and printers. Alto was not a commercial product but has influenced the design of interfaces in the following decades, and notably was source of inspiration for the Apple Lisa (1983).